Osmosis: 1 Mechanism
Osmosis: 1 Mechanism
Osmosis: 1 Mechanism
For other uses, see Osmosis (disambiguation). Jean-Antoine Nollet first documented observation of os-
mosis in 1748.[7] The word “osmosis” descends from
the words “endosmose” and “exosmose”, which were
coined by French physician René Joachim Henri Dutro-
chet (1776–1847) from the Greek words ἔνδον (éndon
“within”), ἔξω (éxō “outer, external”), and ὠσμός (ōsmós
“push, impulsion”).[8]
1 Mechanism
Osmosis is the movement of a solvent across a semiper-
meable membrane toward a higher concentration of so-
The process of osmosis over a semi-permeable membrane, the lute. In biological systems, the solvent is typically water,
blue dots represent particles driving the osmotic gradient but osmosis can occur in other liquids, supercritical liq-
uids, and even gases.[9][10]
Osmosis is the spontaneous net movement of solvent
When a cell is submerged in water, the water molecules
molecules through a semi-permeable membrane into
pass through the cell membrane from an area of low
a region of higher solute concentration, in the direc-
solute concentration to high solute concentration. For
tion that tends to equalize the solute concentrations on
example, if the cell is submerged in saltwater, water
the two sides.[1][2][3] It may also be used to describe
molecules move out of the cell. If a cell is submerged
a physical process in which any solvent moves across
in freshwater, water molecules move into the cell.
a semipermeable membrane (permeable to the solvent,
but not the solute) separating two solutions of different Inital State Final State
concentrations.[4][5] Osmosis can be made to do work.[6]
P 1a P 2a P 1b P 2b
Osmotic pressure is defined as the external pressure re-
quired to be applied so that there is no net movement
of solvent across the membrane. Osmotic pressure is a H
colligative property, meaning that the osmotic pressure
depends on the molar concentration of the solute but not
on its identity.
Osmosis is a vital process in biological systems, as
biological membranes are semipermeable. In general,
these membranes are impermeable to large and polar water
1
2 1 MECHANISM
tion to water (resulting in less free water on the higher The virial theorem demonstrates that attraction between
solute concentration side of the membrane and therefore the molecules (water and solute) reduces the pressure,
net movement of water toward the solute). Both of these and thus the pressure exerted by water molecules on each
notions have been conclusively refuted. other in solution is less than in pure water, allowing pure
The diffusion model of osmosis is rendered untenable by water to “force”[13]
the solution until the pressure reaches
the fact that osmosis can drive water across a membrane equilibrium.
toward a higher concentration of water.[11] The “bound Osmotic pressure is the main cause of support in many
water” model is refuted by the fact that osmosis is inde- plants. The osmotic entry of water raises the turgor pres-
pendent of the size of the solute molecules—a colligative sure exerted against the cell wall, until it equals the os-
property[12] —or how hydrophilic they are. motic pressure, creating a steady state.
When a plant cell is placed in a solution that is hypertonic
relative to the cytoplasm, water moves out of the cell and
the cell shrinks. In doing so, the cell becomes flaccid. In
extreme cases, the cell becomes plasmolyzed – the cell
membrane disengages with the cell wall due to lack of
water pressure on it.
When a plant cell is placed in a solution that is hypotonic
relative to the cytoplasm, water moves into the cell and
the cell swells to become turgid.
Osmosis is responsible for the ability of plant roots to
Effect
draw water from the soil. Plants concentrate solutes in
of different solutions on blood cells their root cells by active transport, and water enters the
Hypertonic Isotonic Hypotonicroots by osmosis. Osmosis is also responsible for con-
• Water potential
3 Variation
5 References
3.1 Reverse osmosis [1] “Osmosis”. Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford
University Press. September 2005. (Subscription or UK
Main article: Reverse osmosis public library membership required.)
[5] Osmosis. University of Hamburg. last change: 31 July • The intermediate word “osmose” and the word “os-
2003 motic” were coined by Scottish chemist Thomas
Graham. See: Thomas Graham (1854) “VII. The
[6] “Statkraft to build the world’s first prototype osmotic Bakerian Lecture – On Osmotic Force,” Philosoph-
power plant”. Statkraft. 2007-10-03. Archived from the ical Transactions of the Royal Society (London), vol.
original on 2009-02-27. 144, pp. 177–288; see especially pp. 177, 178, and
227. See also: Thomas Graham and Henry Watts,
[7] L’Abbé Nollet (June 1748) “Recherches sur les causes du Elements of Chemistry: Including the Applications of
bouillonnement des liquides” (Researches on the causes the Sciences in the Arts, 2nd ed. (London, England:
of the boiling of liquids) Mémoires de Mathématique et Hippolyte Bailliere, 1858), vol. 2, p. 616.
de Physique, tirés des registres de l’Académie Royale des
Sciences de l’année 1748, pp. 57–104; especially pp. • The word “osmosis” first appeared in: Jabez Hogg,
101–103. The Mémoires (1748) were printed in: Histoire The Microscope: Its History, Construction, and Ap-
de l’Académie Royale des Sciences Année 1748, which plication..., 6th ed. (London, England: George
was published in 1752 and which contains a condensed Routledge and Sons, 1867), p. 226.
version of Nollet’s article on pages 10–19. • The etymology of the word “osmosis” is dis-
cussed in: Homer W. Smith (1960). “I. Theory
of Solutions: A knowledge of the laws of solu-
Original text : Avant que de finir ce Mé- tions” (PDF). Circulation. 21: 808–817 (810).
moire, je crois devoir rendre compte d'un doi:10.1161/01.CIR.21.5.808.
fait que je dois au hasard, & qui me parut
d'abord … singulier … j'en avois rempli une [9] Kramer, Eric; David Myers. “Osmosis is not driven by
fiole cylindrique, longue de cinq pouces, & water dilution”. Trends in Plant Science. 18 (4): 195–197.
d'un pouce de diamètre ou environ ; & l'ayant doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2012.12.001.
couverte d'un morceau de vessie mouillée &
[10] Kramer, Eric; David Myers. “Five popular mis-
ficelée au col du vaisseau, je l'avois plongée
conceptions of osmosis”. American Journal of
dans un grand vase plein d'eau, afin d'être sûr
Physics. 80 (694). Bibcode:2012AmJPh..80..694K.
qu'il ne rentrât aucun air dans l'esprit de vin.
doi:10.1119/1.4722325.
Au bout de cinq ou six heures, je fus tout sur-
pris de voir que la fiole étoit plus pleine qu'au [11] Kosinski, R. J.; C. K. Morlok (2008). “Challenging mis-
moment de son immersion, quoiqu'elle le fût conceptions about osmosis.”. Association for Biology Lab-
alors autant que ses bords pouvoient le per- oratory Education. 30: 63–87.
mettre ; la vessie qui lui servoit de bouchon,
étoit devenue convexe & si tendue, qu’en la [12] Borg, Frank (2003). “What is osmosis? Expla-
piquant avec une épingle, il en sortit un jet de nation and understanding of a physical phenomenon”.
liqueur qui s’éleva à plus d'un pied de hauteur. arXiv:physics/0305011 .
Translation : Before finishing this mem- [13] Borg, Frank (2003). “What is osmosis? Expla-
oir, I think I should report an event that I owe nation and understanding of a physical phenomenon”.
to chance and which at first seemed to me … arXiv:physics/0305011 .
strange … I filled [with alcohol] a cylindrical
vial, five inches long and about one inch in
diameter; and [after] having covered it with
piece of damp bladder [which was] tied to the
6 External links
neck of the vial, I immersed it in a large bowl
full of water, in order to be sure that no air • Osmosis simulation in Java
re-entered the alcohol. At the end of 5 or 6
hours, I was very surprised to see that the vial • NetLogo Osmosis simulation for educational use
was fuller than at the moment of its immer-
sion, although it [had been filled] as far as its
• An Osmosis Experiment
sides would allow ; the bladder that served as
its cap, bulged and had become so stretched
that on pricking it with a needle, there came
from it a jet of alcohol that rose more than a
foot high.
7.2 Images
• File:0307_Osmosis.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/0307_Osmosis.jpg License: CC BY 4.0 Contrib-
utors: https://cnx.org/contents/FPtK1zmh@8.25:fEI3C8Ot@10/Preface Original artist: OpenStax
6 7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES